Surprising Parkinson’s aid: ‘Magic mushrooms’ may improve motor skills, mood

Scientists are increasingly aware of the massive medicinal potential of psilocybin, the active ingredient in the so-called ‘magic mushrooms,’ and recently they have found evidence it may help patients with Parkinson’s disease improve their motor function and mood.

Indeed, psilocybin has already shown efficiency in treating depression and anxiety, and researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have also hailed results when testing to see if it could help with debilitating mood and motoric dysfunction in Parkinson’s patients, per a report on April 29.

Results of using ‘magic mushrooms’ for Parkinson’s

Specifically, participants have consumed the drug without any serious side effects or worsening symptoms, as well as experiencing clinically significant improvements in mood, cognition, and motor function that continued for weeks after the drug was out of their bodies.

Interestingly, the participants’ mood was still significantly improved even three months after their psilocybin sessions, which the scientists believe led to better cognitive and motor functions as they felt better, socialized more, and became more active, all of which are critical parts of Parkinson’s treatment.

Other than that, they have another theory, according to which psilocybin itself provides relief from multiple symptoms by reducing inflammation and promoting neuroplasticity – the growth and reconnection of brain cells related to mood, cognition, and regulating movement.

As the paper’s first author, Ellen Bradley, MD, assistant professor and associate director of UCSF’s Translational Psychedelic Research Program (TrPR), explained, the study went much further than the researchers had originally expected, despite their work being in very early stages. 

She also said that:

“Many people don’t realize this, but mood symptoms in Parkinson’s are linked to a faster physical decline. (…) And they are actually a stronger predictor of patients’ quality of life with Parkinson’s than their motor symptoms.”

Meanwhile, a group of researchers has discovered that psilocybin may also help restore normal brain function after mild head injuries, which can lead to an increased risk of dementia, Parkinson’s, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.